Coolant level

Car= 1993 corolla,1.3, engine 4E-FE

Dear Friends,

I have a problem, in my car the coolant level is pretty low, however
if I open the radiator it is full to the brim.

The temperature gauge is in the middle.

I have squashed the big pipe going to the radiator and I can not feel a surge of coolant (while engine is hot and running)

I read in the Haynes manual, the resovior rises when it is hot and drops when it is cold, there is a only a small rise

There is also a small amount of water coming out of the exhaust, more than normal

ANY diagnosis/ideas?

Mix a 50 \50 mixture of coolent and water and FILL the recovery tank. Close the radiator cap, move the heater control to hot and run the car for a couple of days. Check the level in both the recovery tank and radiator [when cold] after a few drive cycles. Refill the recovery tank if nessesscary. Don't worry about overfilliing the recovery tank, it will just run out onto the road if overfilled.

The water from the tailpipe may be mere condensation. If you see alot of steam at the tailpipe you may have bigger problems, but first let's concentrate on getting the cooling system filled and any trapped air out.

Also check the oil level and condition. If it's extreemly high and milkshake looking you may have a blown head gasket...but these engines are pretty reliable. So don't freakout just yet.